


The Dragon's Talon

by Rowwlet



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Pathfinder (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Character Death, Demon Deals, Demons, Dragon Age Lore, Dragons, Dungeons & Dragons Campaign, Explicit Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kirkwall (Dragon Age), Mages (Dragon Age), Original Character(s), Templars (Dragon Age), Tevinter Culture and Customs, Tevinter Imperium (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:48:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23012008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rowwlet/pseuds/Rowwlet
Summary: Part of an ongoing Pathfinder/dnd campaign.Slow to update but I'll do so if asked enough.





	The Dragon's Talon

Kirkwall, Free Marches

It had been several decades since she had been in this tavern, yet it seems as though nothing had changed. The same smells of charring meats and mulled wine, mixed in with the acrid smell of the alchemist's medicines next door permeating the small space. The little hole-in-the-wall was just barely spacious enough to have two tables of five and several two to four person booth, all of them cramped into every nook of the room while the bar and barrels stood in the middle of the back wall. Marie shifted, leaning back slightly in the small booth she was inhabiting, her hood obscuring most of her angular face, covering the small, subtle smirk that was tugging at the corners of her mouth. It was doubtful that anyone here would remember her if she were to show her face, it had been close to fifty years and the war had more then likely taken most of the elders and younger men that would have paid her any attention then, in one way or another. Adding on that she had been almost a completely different person then, she could walk through a once frequented place and be looked upon as a stranger. Her sanguineous eyes glistened with mirth, something about being in this kitschy little place always seemed to put her in good spirits, something that had become a difficult task these days. Flicking her gaze back down to the tome on her table, right now being used to hold a generous goblet of apple and honey wine, her smirk dissolved back into the stoic expression she normally wore. Her fingertips trailed idly over the ornate lettering, the lace of her gloves gliding over the dark leather, the book seemed to almost sigh under her touch, the letters glistening in the candlelight. It had been decades since she had been here.. and the only thing that seems to have changed was herself.

The last time she lingered here, she was much more human. Her head tilted back as she closed her eyes, perching her head on an open palm, as she recalled. It had been in the middle of autumn then as well, she could recall the biting chill of the wind as she entered, burnished, cinnamon colored skin showed hints of red along her cheeks and nose as her amber eyes scanned the room. It had been a habit that she developed early in her life, the Chantry in other parts of Thedas wasn't always kind to most Tevinter mages, even those who had their own scorn against the Imperium for one reason another. Once all seemed calm with her entrance, she smiled, letting her hood fall off her head and settling herself into a secluded booth towards the back of the room. Before long, a barmaid, young, pretty, with ginger hair and fawn colored eyes, took her order of honeyed wine and venison stew. When the maid paused before turning away, Marie perked an arched brow towards her, khol lined eyes slightly narrowing, "Is something the matter?" she asked lightly, pout forming a small smile. "Well, no ma'am, it's just.. we don't get many of your type in here, I've actually never seen a person from Tevinter before," she responded quietly, sheepishly scratching at an errant lock of auburn hair with a smile, "one of the soldiers that comes in said the women are beautiful there, it's good to see he was correct." Marie let out an amused hum, her smile widening, "Perhaps you would like to join me for supper some time, I'd love to tell you about my home," she responded, her voice soft. The young girl turned a wondrous shade of cherry red, nearly matching the curls of her locks before nodding and quickly walking back towards the kitchen. That night was one that Marie remembered fondly for quite some time, she and the maid, who she later learned was named Isla, ate and spoke together well into the late hours. After that, she could fondly remember waking later that morning, just a few hours past dawn, in a warm bed made of down feathers, finding the comely woman curled around her, arm cinched around her bare hips. It almost seemed cruel to leave such a picturesque moment behind, but staying would have only cause her pain in time, in one form or another. It was a few months later, when Marie had returned from a battle near Sundermount that she found Kirkwall in the throes of the Blight, never being able to find the young barmaid again. 

The memory often brought a small pang in her chest, though it was that pain that had helped to lead her to this life. Not more then a few days had passed since she returned before it all happened. There was a skirmish just a stone's throw from the Vimmark Mountains, she had been hired by the Templars to help the forces remove the remaining opposing soldiers and bandits. The Templar Order always seemed to look down on those like her, mages. That didn't stop the menfolk of them from leering at her, shouting foul things that would make a Seaman's ears burn. It wasn't new to her, women of any type of noble class were seem as basic objects in her homeland, one of the main reasons she found herself disgusted by the mere thought of the hellish place. But it wasn't the bandits who crept into her tent in the night, it wasn't the mercenaries who pinned her limbs to the floor, tore off her clothes and ravaged her. It had been the soldiers of the Templar Order. It had been the Templars who spat on her, beat her, held her by her ebony locks as they forced themselves inside of her to muffle her screams of protest, her cries of anguish seeming to make them more frenzied. She was nothing but a Tevinter whore, they said, barely worth being their filthy plaything. They had dragged her out of her tent and into the woods, stopping in a field after some time to assault her again. This time, she had tried to fight back, getting one of her hands loose from the bindings that held her, she had clawed one of them that was holding her down and fled. She hadn't gotten far when one of the men shot her leg with an arrow, as they went to retrieve her, they beat her mercilessly, breaking her jaw and arms, before deciding they were bored with her. It was then she remembered, they had cut into her with their swords and daggers, her screams in agony turning into whimpers of pain before incoherent gasps and gurgling as one finally slit her throat. She remembered watching it all from the veils of the Fade, watching her head be removed from her body, of a handful of the soldiers even having one more turn with her body and head, all the while laughing, before they buried her in a shallow grave, leaving her remains for the animals. It all seemed like a lifetime, but it had only been maybe a couple of hours since she had left the camp, now she was on the other side of the realm, staring at what had once been her body. She sobbed, her eyes leaking as she seethed at the foul men's laughter retreating into the darkness of the woods. 

"Such a shame," cooed a voice, soft and sad. Marie whipped around, eyes searching the cloudy veil around her as her arms wrapped around her bare torso. Stepping into sight, her eyes fell on a woman clad in the purest black silk, her marble white skin exposed in a sultry, noble fashion, "It's such a shame," she repeated, her voice as clear as the night sky, wine colored lips in a minute smile, "such deeds going unpunished, it's really a tragedy, isn't it?" Marie shifted defensively, this was had to be a demon, there wasn't a person like this in the Fade who would appear so.. real. Without her staff, there was no magic, if she could even cast here. The demon tilted her head to the side, smile widening. Looking her over, Marie noted her pointed black ears and crimson eyes, the pearl white hair atop her head had been braided and fell over her shoulder, the length nearly reaching her slender ankles, her delicate, porcelain colored feet bare save for a few jeweled rings on her toes. "We could make them pay, you know," she said musingly, smile never faltering, "we both be free and you could tear them apart, I would just need.. a few little pieces from you." Her amber eyes widened, her body relaxing a fraction, "What are you saying, how would I get out of here?" she shouted, her voice sounding stronger then she felt, "am I to make a deal with you? To give up my soul in exchange for revenge?" The woman's eyes narrowed as her smile became a full grin, lips pulling back to show a row of sharp, perfectly white teeth, "Well, it's either that," she hummed, eyes twinkling with malice, "or you can let them go back to their happy lives, their loving, ever-growing families and prosper." Marie sucked in air through her teeth sharply, the shock showing in her eyes as she began to see red, the demon was right, there was no way these men would be punished for this, they were going to be free to live their lives without the fear of anyone knowing what they had done. This though put her in a rage, the audacity of them, to live happy lives while she rotted in a shallow grave. No, this would no do at all... "tell me, what shall I call you, my new friend?" The demon chuckled lowly, reaching a pale hand out to tuck an errant strand of Marie's hair behind her ear, "My name is Xebenkeck, my sweet child," she cooed, leaning down until her painted lips brushed the other woman's gently, "now, for us to be liberated from this prison, I'm going to have to take your some of your soul as my own.. put a piece of my heart within yours.. and in exchange.. we'll both be free." Reaching up, Marie ran the back her hands along Xebenkeck's jaw, her dark skin stark in contrast as her fingers twisted themselves in the demon's snowy locks, she took a breath, a cruel, twisted smirk coming to her face before responding, "If it means I'll get to live, if it means I can cast my hatred upon this world, so be it."


End file.
